A very delicate surgery that was... it was important to me... to NOT make a great preamp counterproductive... I just wanted to bump it a bit so that it would be more than dandy by itself, and it is. I also like my decision to change the input tube from the 12AU7 to the 6N1P / 6922. 6N1P being warmer and smoother and the 6922 being more focused and articulate. Giving you a wider range of sound within that ideal mu.

That sounds great Steve. Can't wait to hear it. And since I have a snootfull of nice input tubes of both types, it will be great to do a small amount of rolling.

Hmmm. Just so I understand.... I have a CSP2+ and a Taboo II. Will the Taboo III sound better than this combination with the LCD2? By extension, would the CSP2+ and Taboo III combination surpass (with the LCD2 only) the Taboo III alone?

A very delicate surgery that was... it was important to me... to NOT make a great preamp counterproductive... I just wanted to bump it a bit so that it would be more than dandy by itself, and it is. I also like my decision to change the input tube from the 12AU7 to the 6N1P / 6922. 6N1P being warmer and smoother and the 6922 being more focused and articulate. Giving you a wider range of sound within that ideal mu.

Hard to say. Steve's comment could be implicitly read as saying that a good preamp could take the new Taboo one notch further. Might be the kind of thing where the difference gets less critical than tube selection, though riding the gain is a pretty impressive capability. Over at PS Audio, there is a lot of discussion going on around Paul McGowan's philosophy that the best preamp is no preamp. And I don't think there is any question that generally, simplicity is a desired goal, that fewer layers between the listener and the music are better. I am looking forward to getting my Ultra back from the shop to perhaps spend some real quality time comparing the various options of my DAC and disc player straight into Torii, or through the Ultra. The Torii is such an amazing amp, that I would not be surprised if I am sufficiently pleased with its capabilities without preamp. And both sources have sufficient resolution in their digital gain controls on paper to make them reasonable front ends without additional preamp.

Hmmm. Just so I understand.... I have a CSP2+ and a Taboo II. Will the Taboo III sound better than this combination with the LCD2? By extension, would the CSP2+ and Taboo III combination surpass (with the LCD2 only) the Taboo III alone?

The biggest difference between the Taboo II and the new III in this context is going to be the new LUCID mode, giving you an optionally wider soundstage with about 10 times the detail. IF you find yourself drawn to this listening mode, there will be no comparison. IF not, then it will be the same basic amplifier but with more resolution from the Cryo'd Beeswax caps.

Will the balanced XLRs put out more power? or is just better noise reduction you'll get from using them?

The balanced XLR's will put out the same power as the 1/4 inch TRS jacks. The noise is identical on both. The difference will be in that you can listen to the raw stereo signal without using lucid mode as an option. On the 1/4 inch TRS jacks, lucid mode is required to get a ground from both channels to the headphones. Without lucid mode turned on, there will be only a ground from the right channel. This still works but has mixed results depending on the recording. The same is true for the Taboo II. XLR jacks make it possible to have the reference stereo output into the headphones. Basically the same output that you could get from the speaker binding posts, but with attenuation for headphones.

Excellent info Steve. So, if we opt for 4-pin XLR—that's an option, right?—we can have two headphone jacks. And then the next question, will Lucid be switchable for both sets of cans at the same time, or individually?

Can't wait to hear this puppy. Did I say I wanted to be on the order list?

The lucid mode, volume level, balance adjustments, etc., will always effect both sets of phones equally. To get fully independent control with two sets of phones there is the "get two mod" where you simply buy two Taboos!

The lucid mode, volume level, balance adjustments, etc., will always effect both sets of phones equally. To get fully independent control with two sets of phones there is the "get two mod" where you simply buy two Taboos!

I bought the CSP2+ and Taboo combo this fall mainly to drive the LCD-2 headphones and was really enjoying the combo till I read that the new Taboo would be much better (you know how it is :P). Thankfully, I understand that Steve can perform modifications to the current white taboo to make it sound pretty close to the new model.

Steve, since I already have the CSP2+ and VCAPS in the taboo, apart for the second lucid mode circuit or «dual lucid mode» modification, would you recommend any other mod that would improve the sound substantially? Also, how long can I expect to wait before getting the amp back? I know I’m going to have to prepare myself mentally to live without my Taboo for at least a month because of the shipping alone since I live in Montreal.

Steve, since I already have the CSP2+ and VCAPS in the taboo, apart for the second lucid mode circuit or «dual lucid mode» modification, would you recommend any other mod that would improve the sound substantially? Also, how long can I expect to wait before getting the amp back? I know I’m going to have to prepare myself mentally to live without my Taboo for at least a month because of the shipping alone since I live in Montreal.

With the VCAPS and CSP2+ I think the dual lucid mode is going to be the main thing. We usually turn upgrades and or repairs in 10 working days plus shipping both ways.